Water Bill..... (Dallas: house, live in, swimming pool)

[bencronin04]

So I've recently started using the sprinkler system at our house and our water bill was going up but just seems ridiculous this month. We water twice a week in 30 minutes segments on a 8,300sqft lot. Does 30K gallons seem a little outrageous or is that the norm?

[jdallas]

Originally Posted by bencronin04

So I've recently started using the sprinkler system at our house and our water bill was going up but just seems ridiculous this month. We water twice a week in 30 minutes segments on a 8,300sqft lot. Does 30K gallons seem a little outrageous or is that the norm?

30k gallons above your previous usage? That's like filling a couple good sized swimming pools. I would be skeptical and give them a call.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by bencronin04

So I've recently started using the sprinkler system at our house and our water bill was going up but just seems ridiculous this month. We water twice a week in 30 minutes segments on a 8,300sqft lot. Does 30K gallons seem a little outrageous or is that the norm?

Seems way high. Our lot is ~38,000sqft. we have a pool, four at home right now plus some visitors, and I water 2x per week pretty hard. We used 36K gallons last bill.


Things to consider:
Bad meter - unlike most think water meters are out of whack often.

Check for underground leaks. Pressure test your home's water line and the line running to your irrigation - do you have two meters? Also watch the meter run while cycling through your irrigation zones - compare the indicated flow rate with the size each zone. You can also eyeball home usage - shut off all water to the house at the house if you can or only a little worse turn off everything inside and look at the meter if it's turning much at all you have a leak.

Make sure you don't have a bunch of heads running wide open.

Finally, are you in Dallas? Do you have a 2" inch service? If so you are being billed a commercial rate by default.

[bencronin04]

Thanks for the info everyone. This is our first time in a house.

@EDS we do live in Dallas, not sure what a 2" service is.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by bencronin04

Thanks for the info everyone. This is our first time in a house.

@EDS we do live in Dallas, not sure what a 2" service is.

The "service" is line just on the city's side of your meter.

[Pete53FR]

The City of Dallas Water system leaks like a sieve. Look at all the patches they make.